Shoe sewing machine



Nov. 15, 1938. B, T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 12, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet l npentor f M W (Ittornegs Nov.; l5, W3 E. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March l2, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 mums Nov. 15, 1938. B.- T. LEVEQUE 2,136,590

SHOE SEWING- MACHINE Original Fled March l2, 1955 17 Sheets-Shea?I 5 Gttornegs ov. l5, 1933. E. T. LEVEQUE' 2,136,590'

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March l2, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 15, 1938. B. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE 1.7 sheets-sheet 5 Original Filed March l2, 1935 lNOV. 15 W193 i T LEVEQUE i 2,136,590

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Driginal Filed March 12, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 Gttornegs Nov. 15, 1938. B. T. LEVEQUE sHoE SEWING MACHINE original Filed Maron 12, 1955 17 sheets-sheet fr Nov. 15, 1938.

.5. T. LEVEQUE' SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Mach 12, 1955v 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 nventor I (Ittornegs Nov. 15, 1938.

B. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 12, 19,35Y 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 maentor Gttomegs Nv, 15, 1938. B, T. LEVI-:QUE

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March l2, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet lO Vnventor @3X/44% Gttornegs Nov. 15, 1938. B. T. LEVEQUE SHEl SEWING MACHINE original Filed March 12, 1935 17 sheets-sheet 11 Srwentor (lt'tornegs Nov, l5, 1938.

` B. T. I EVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 Original Filed March l2, 1935 \fmventot Gttornegs Nov. l5, 1938.

B. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 12, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 'Qfwentor Gttornegs Nov 15, 1938. B. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE 1,7 sheets-sheet 14 Original Filed March l2, 1955 nventor (Ittomegs Nov. 15, 1938. a. T. LEVEQUE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March l2, 1955 17y Sl'xeets--Sheefl l5 B. T. I EVEQUE I 2,136,590

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Maroh`12,. 1955 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 16 Nov. 15, 1938,

Nov. 15, 1933. B. T. LEVEQUE 2,136,590 y SHEy SEWING' MACHINE l I Original Filed March l2, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Patented Nev. 415, 193s 2,136,559@

UNlTao stares .PATENT orrlea sHoE SEWING MACHINE Bernard T. Leveque, Wenham, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application March 12, 1935, Serial No. 10,621. Divided and this application May 12, 1936, Serial No. 79,285

16 Claims. (Cl. 112,--58) The present invention relates primarily to shoe thread measuring gripper through a connection sewing machines, and is herein disclosed as emto the work feeding mechanism. bodied in a curved hook needle lockstitch ma- The locking thread Dull-Off r measuring meehchine adapted to sew the outsole to the welt and erliSm, llbOVe referred 60, iS Well adapted 't0 C00?- upper of a Welteol shoe7 the illustrative embodierate with the take-up and needle thread tension 5 ment of the invention being of the same condeVCeS Comme-Illy uSed in 100k-Stitch Sewing me* struction and operation as that of the machine Chines- T0 Still further imDrOVe l'le thread 11u11- described in applicants pending application Sedling devices of the machine so as to prevent rial No 10,621y filed Maron 12, 1935, of which breaking of thread or rregularitiesin the stitches the present application is e divisionl by reason of faulty handling of the needle thread, 10

The objects of the invention are to nrodnee an the present invention also contemplates using, in outsole shoe sewing machine having its various Combination Witn the locking i'fniead Pun-Off 01 parts constructed and arranged to operate in an measuring mechanism a puiioii and measuring improved manner so es to permit the machine mechainsm for the needle thread, whereby the to be run at e sneed nigh as compared with the proper amount of needle thread is supplied to 15 speed of machines of this type at present in comthe iakeup by ine thread measuring mechanism mereiel use, While -feeding the Shoe and martinm and the full tension is not exerted on the needle loting the needle and looking threads so as to thread until the locking thread has been drawn produce a satisfactory seam having stitches evenly a predetermined distance into line Werkspaced and formed in e predetermined uniform Certain features of the present invention also 20 mannen f consist in novel and improved devices, combina- With the above objects in View a feature of the tions and arrangements of parts hereinafter deinvention relates to an improved mechanism for scribed and Ciaimed ine advantages 0f Wnien Win handling the needle and locking threads during be Obvious t0 those Skilled in the art from the the formation of e Stilton In aJcoordonne with following description. Certain of these devices, 25 this feature of the invention, a locking thread Combinations and arrangements of parte Wniie measuring or nnlhon meehomsm is provided Com particularly adapted for use in outsole shoe sewprisinea thread grinning device, amd thiS grim ing machine, are capable of use in other types ping device is so timed and oetnnted that it is of machines and, accordingly, the several features in gripping engagement with the looking thread of the invention are not to be considered as lim- 30 at the time the needle thread is being pulled into ined to any particular apniieation except as Spe' its final position to set the stitchso that the posi- Cincauy dennen in the ciannstion of the lock is accurately determined by the An Outsole Shoe Sewing machine embodying resistance to further movement of the locking ine several features 0f ine present invention is 5 thread into the work as soon as the amount preillustrated in the accompanying drawings in 35 viously pulled from the looking thread ease hy which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the the gripper has been pulled into the Work by the head of the machine; Figure 2 is a detail sectional loop of needle thread view of the rotary loop taker which is in the form In order to secure an even and uniform posiof a shuttle, together with the thread case and 40 tioning of the lock in the work, regardless of bobbin for the locking thread supported therein; 40 variations in the length of the stitches occasioned Figure 3 iS e VieW ill from? eleVatiOu 0f the head either by irregularities in Jthe neuen ef Jthe feed- 0f the machine illustrated ln Figure 1; Figure 4 ing mechanism or by an initial adjustment of the is a detail view in side elevation of the sewing feeding mechanism, a feature of the invention deViCeS adjeeilt the Sewing DOII; Figure 5 iS contemplates pulling from the leaking thread ease a detail Sectional View' of the mechanism illus- 45 during the formation of each stitch a length of trated in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a detail Sectional thread varying with variations in the length or View 0n a larger Scale 0f certain of the parts the stitches. This feature of the invention is illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 7 iS a detail View embodied in the machine hereinafter described in front elevation 0f the thread ngel and looper;

in mechanism for varying the throw of the thread Figure 3 iS ,e plan VieW 0f the mechanism illuS- 50 gripping jaws above referred to. This feature trated in Figure 7, together with the actuating of the invention contemplates varying the throw lever fOr JElie 1009er; Figure 9 iS detail View in of the pull-ofi device for a locking thread in any front elevation, partly in SeCtiOrl, illustrating the desired manner, but in the machine hereinafter Work feeding mechanism and the 'Deke-up meehdescribed, this result is secured by actuating the anism for the needle thread; Figure 10 is a plan 55 mounted upon the slide 6.

View of the work feeding mechanism; Figure 11 is a view in front elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 10; Figure 12 is a detail view illustrating the connection between the feeding mechanism and locking thread pull-oil' or measuring mechanism; Figures 13 to 22 inclusive are a series of detail views illustrating the operation of the thread handling devices in forming a stitch; Figure 23 is a detail sectional View illustrating in side elevation the take-up, pull-off and thread lock for the needle thread, together with their actuating and controlling mechanisms; Figure 24 is a detail view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 23, but looking in the opposite direction and with the parts in a different position; Figure 25 is a plan view of the. parts illustrated in Figure 24; and Figure 26 is a detail sectional view illustrating particularly the presserfoot actuating and controlling mechanism.

The work feeding mechanism illustrated in the drawings is of that type in which the work is fed intermittently by the cooperating action of a work support and presser foot constructed and arranged to engage respectively the welt and outsole of a shoe. Referring particularly to Figures 9 to 12, the work support is indicated at 2 and the presser foot at 4, both of these parts being mounted upon a feed carriage in the form of a slide mounted for advancing and retracting movements in the line of feed on fixed guides 8 and I Il. The work support 2 is rigidly secured to an arm projecting forwardly from the slide 6 and the presser foot is secured to the forwardly extending arm of a presser foot lever I2 pivotally 'I'he lever I2 is connected to the cam shaft of the machine through mechanism hereinafter described, by which the level` is actuated to cause the work to be gripped between the presser foot 4 and the work support 2 and to be released during each stitch forming cycle of the machine. The feed slide 6 is advanced and retracted in the line of feed during each stitch forming cycle by the mechanism to be described, said mechanism being similar to that disclosed and claimed in applicants pending application Serial No. 10,621 above referred to, and these movements are timed with relation to the movements of the presser foot lever I2, so that the advancing movement to feed the work takes place while the work is clamped, and the retracting movement takes place while the work is released. The work is thus fed past the stitch forming devices of which the curved awl and the curved hook needle are indicated respectively at I4 and I6.

For imparting the advancing and retracting movements in the line of feed to the feed carriage 6, a toggle is provided comprising the members I8 and 2U. These members are connected by the central pivotal joint 22. The member I8 is pivotally connected at 24 to the feed slide 6, and the member 20 is pivotally connected at 26 to a support 28. The pivotal centers 24, 22 and 26 are so arranged that when these centers are in line, the feed slide 6 is at the extreme limit of its advancing feeding movement. The feed slide is actuated by reciprocating the central joint 22 of the toggle and, to this end, the member I8 of the toggle is connected by means of a link 38 to the upper end of a pivotally mounted supporting arm 32 which is actuated from the cam shaft of the machine through connections including a link 34 also connected to the upper end of the arm 32.

To vary the action of the toggle so as to vary the feeding movements imparted to the slide 6,

the support 28 which carries the pivotal center 26 of the toggle is pivotally mounted in alignment with the central joint 22 of the toggle when the toggle is in straightened condition, and means are provided for adjusting the support 28 about its pivot so as to change the position of the pivotal center 25. As will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 10, an adjustment of the support 28 in a counter-clockwise direction will act to increase the length of feeding movements, while an adjustment of the support 28 in a clockwise direction from the position indicated in Figure will act to decrease the length of feeding movements.

As a convenient means for adjusting the support 28 and holding it securely in adjusted position, the support is provided with a gear segment 3y which meshes with the gear segment 38 upon the inner end of the adjusting lever 4U pivotally mounted upon a stud 42 secured to a fixed portion 44 of the machine frame. At its outer end the lever 4S extends over a segmental plate 46 provided with perforations 48 in which pins may be inserted to limit the swinging movement of the lever 40 in adjusting the support 28.

To hold the adjusting lever 40 in any position to which it may be moved, a clutch mechanism is provided comprising two one-way clutch rolls 56 seated in recesses in a, block 52 secured to the outer end of the adjusting lever 40 and interposed between a segmental surface 54 on the outer edge of the plate 45 and inclined surfaces 56 on the block 52. A coiled spring 58 extending through a block 6U at the lower end of a stud secured in the lever 40 and interposed between the balls 56 normally acts to force the balls away from each other into clutching position so that the adjusting lever 4I] is held from movement in one direction `by one ball and from movement in the other direction by the other ball.

The clutching mechanism is controlled and the adjusting lever 40 is actuated by a control lever 62 which is mounted upon the stud 42 and extends outwardly over the lever 40 and over the Vclutch mechanism. At its outer end the control lever 62 is provided with arms 64 which extend downwardly outside of the balls 50 and are provided at their lower ends with set screws 66 arranged, when the lever 62 is rswung in either direction, to engage one or the other of the balls 50 and move it into inoperative position against the tension 4of the spring 58. The control lever 62 thus has a limited movement independently of the adjusting lever 40 and acts during this limited movement to actuate the clutch mechanism to release the adjusting lever 40. ment of the control lever -62 in the same direction thereafter acts to move the adjusting lever. A spring pressed plunger 68 mounted in the adjusting lever 40 is arranged to engage a recess in the lower surface of the control lever 62 and hold the control lever normally out of engagement with the clutch rolls.

The curved awl I4 and the curved hook needle I6 are clamped respectively in the awl segment '10 and the needle segment 12, which segments are mounted to oscillate concentrically upon a fixed stud "I4 supported in brackets 'I6 and I8 fixed to the frame of the machine. The needle and awl segments are so supported that the needle and awl are in the same vertical plane and operate in this plane without any movement back and forth in the direction of feed. The needle guide indicated at 80 is secured to a hub 82 and this hub is also supported from the stud 14. The needle and awl segments are actuated,

Continued move- .f

as hereinafter described,`t'o cause the needle and awl to enter and withdraw from the work. `The movements of the awl segment tend to move the needle guide through frictional engagement with the hub-Y of the guide and the guide is thus actuated in the desired manner.

In addition `to the needle, theV thread handling devices acting on the needle thread consist of a needle threading looper, a thread arm for drawing out a bight of thread between the looper and the work, a loop taker in the form of a shuttle for passing a loop of needle thread over the locking thread case, a loop spreader to spread the loop for the loop taker, atake-up, a thread lock and a needle thread pull-off or thread measurer.

The looper comprisesl athread eye 84 formed (see Figs.,3, 4, 5, '7 and `8) in the outwardly bent arm of a rod secured so as to be capable of longitudinal adjustment in an axial socket at the upper end of a downwardly and rearwardly eX- tending shaft 80. The shaft 86 is mounted in a xed bracket 88 and is provided at its lower end with a gear segment 90, meshing with a gear segment 82 at the forward end of an actuating lever 94. This lever is pivotally mounted on the machine frame and is oscillated from the cam shaft of the machine through connections hereinafter described. While the needle is through the work, the looper, in cooperation with the thread arm, is. oscillated to carry the thread out side of and across the circle of the needle to thread the needle, as clearly shown in Figures 1'7 and 18.

'I'he thread nger, indicated at 86, is secured to the upper end of a lever 98 pivoted at its lower end upon the xed bracket 88 and arranged to swing in a vertical plane across the upper end of the looper when the looper is in the position indicated in Figures 7 and 8. As the needle makes its work piercing stroke the thread finger is moved rearwardly across the topy of the looper and draws out a bight of thread between the looper and the work, as indicated in Figures 17 and 18. The mechanism for actuating the thread linger will be hereinafter described.

The loop spreader (see Figs. 3, 4 and 14 to 22) comprises an arm secured to a block |02 integral with a laterally extending stud |04 journalled in fixed bracket arms I 00 and |08 (see particularly Fig. 3). The lower end of the loop spreading arm projects slightly across the plane of the needle and when actuated moves from its rearward position forwardly across the path of the needle to engage one side of the needle loop and extend it to the position indicated in Fig. 19. The loop spreader is actuated from the cam shaft of the machine through connections hereinafter described which' comprise av lever arm ||0 clamped to the supporting stud of the spreader carrying block |02 between the xed brackets |00, |08.

The loop taker, which takes the spread loop from the needle and loop spreader and passes it over the thread case for the locking thread is indicated at ||2 (see Figs. 2, 6, and 13 to 22).

This loop taker is in the form of a discoidal rotary shuttle which passes completely through the needle loop. It comprises a hollow cylindrical body closed at its rear end and open at its forward end to receive the cylindrical locking thread case ||4. This locking thread case is loosely mounted upon a supporting stud ||6 eX- tendingforwardly from the rear wall of the shuttle and forming a bearing for the sleeve ||8 projecting rearwardly from the rear Wall of the thread case. The sleeve ||8 forms a bearing for a bobbin. on which the locking thread is wound. The locking thread leads from the bobbin through a passageway |22 in the cylindrical Wall of the thread case and then passes diametrically across the outer front face Iof the thread case along passageways formed in a projection |24 at the top of the thread case and a projection or nose |26 at the bottom of the thread case. The shuttle body at its inner and outer ends is provided with beveled surfaces to facilitate the passage of the needle loop over the shuttle, and between these surfaces is provided with a bearing groove engaged by a circular raceway |28 by which the shuttle is supported in. the machine. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the raceway |28 is provided with channels |30 through which lubricating oil is supplied to the bearing surfaces of the shuttle. The periphery of the shuttle is interrupted by a recess shaped to receive a shuttle driving arm |32 and to form the loop taking beak |34 and heel |36.

During the operation of the machine, the shuttle is rotated continuously in the same direction and the locking thread case is held from rotation by a retaining arm |38, the lower end of which is provided with a notch engaging the nose |26 at the bottom edge of the case. To provide ready access to the thread case, the retaining arm |38 is pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine Anear its upper end by means of a pivot shaft |40 so that the lower end of the retaining arm may be swung outwardly away from the thread case, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The retaining arm is normally held in retaining position in front of the thread case bymeans of a pivotally mounted latch I 42 arranged to engage a projecting pin |44 at the upper end of the retaining arm above the pivot shaft |40. A spring |48 stretched between the latch |42 and the upper end of the arm |38 serves to retain the latch in engagement with the pin |44 until the latch is raised by the operator when the spring acts to swing the retaining arm away from the thread case.

After the needle loop is carried over the top of the shuttle, it is pulled down from the shuttle and into the work by the take-up mechanism illustrated particularly in Figures 9, 23, 24 and 25. This take-up mechanism comprises two arms |48 and |50 pivotally mounted one above the other to swing in substantially the same vertical plane. At their outer ends these arms carry respectively take-up rolls |52 and |54 over which the needle thread passes in its travel from the source of supply to the looper. thread, the take-up rolls |52 and |54 cooperate with fixed guide rolls |58 and |58, these guide rolls beingarranged so that the thread coming from the supply passes first around the roll |58, then over the upper take-up roll |52, then over the lower take-up roll |54, then upwardly to the guide roll |58 and from this roll to the looper. 'I'he take-up arms |48 and |50 are arranged to move from the position indicated in Figure 24, in which they are substantially horizontal and parallel, to the position indicated in Figure 23, in which they are substantially vertical and in line with each other. In so moving, the arms |48, |50 cause the take-up rolls |52 and |54 to take up the thread simultaneously in two loops and, by reason of the fact that the arms are substantially in alignment at the limit of their taking-up stroke, the amount of thread taken up is always the same, and is not affected by any overthrow of the arms. The take-up arms are actu- In taking up the 

